Automobile-elevator.



VQT. WRIGHT.

AUTOMOBILEELEVATOR.

APPLICATION men APR. 2. 1917.

Patented. Nov. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

WITNESSES I m zz'www' V. T. WRIGHT.

AUTOMOBILE ELEVATOR...

APPLICATION FILED APR.2, 1917.

m mw

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- A TTOB/JEYS Patented Nov. 27/, 191?.

UNltTE %TATE% PATENT @FFTQFt VIRGIL TILD'EN WRIGHT, OF GORSICANA, TEXAS.

AUTOMOBILE-ELEVATOR.

Application filed April 2, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Vrnern TILDEN TRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Corsicana, in the county of Navarro and State of Texas, have invented an Tmprovement in Automobile-Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in automobile elevators, and has for its object to provide mechanism of the character specified, which may be arranged in garages and like places for elevating the car and supporting it with the tires out of contact with the floor, wherein the movement of the car is utilized to operate the elevator.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is atop plan view of the improved elevator with parts in section.

Fig. 2 is a side view.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows adjacent to the line.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections on the lines 4-4 and 5-5 of Fig. 2, each view looking in the direction of the arrows adjacent to the line.

The present embodiment of the invention comprises a base or trackway of substantially rectangular form and consisting of spaced side bars 1 connected by cross bars 2 and 3, and by a cross plate 4. The cross plate 4 is arranged in vertical position above the side bars, and a carriage is mounted to run upon the base or trackway.

This carriage comprises spaced side bars 5, which register with the side bars 1 of the base, and the side bars are connected by cross bars 6 at their ends. The carriage is further braced by inclined brace rods 7, and near each end the carriage has pairs of buffer blocks 8 and 9, for engagement by the front and rear axles of the automobile 10. Rollers 11 are journaled transversely of the carriage near the ends thereof, the said rollers having journal pins 12 which are journaled in bearing plates 13 on the side bars 5 of the carriage. These rollers are adapted to run upon the upper faces of the bars 1, and it will be noticed that said bars have inclines 14 and 15 upon which the rollers run. These inclines are similar, the inclines 14 being at that end of the base remote from the cross plate 4, while the inclines 15 are near the other end.

The elevator is of a width such that the car may straddle the same, and it will be Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2*i, Emit.

Serial No. 159,182.

evident that when the car is run over the elevator, and the axles engage the buflers 8 and 9, the carriage will be moved forward, and as the rollers travel up the inclines, the carriage and the car will be elevated.

Latch mechanism is provide for holding the carriage in the position shown in Fig. 8. The said mechanism comprises a. resilient ratchet bar 16, which is secured at one end to the cross plate 4. The teeth of the bar face toward the plate 4, and they are adapted to engage the front axle to lock the carriage in elevated position. It will. be noticed from an inspection of Fig. 3 that the ratchet bar inclines downwardly from the plate 4, and the inner end thereof is connected to the crank arm 17 of a crank shaft 18 journaled transversely of the base in the bars 1.

The connection is made by an eye-bolt 19, and it will be noticed that the ratchet plate is movable longitudinally of the bolt between stops 20 and 21 on the eye bolt. The handle 22 of the crank shaft has connected therewith an operating member in the form of a cord 23, and a coil spring 24, and the spring acts normally to hold the parts in the position of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, that is with the crank upward. The cord passes forwardly from the handle 22 over direction elements 25 which are mounted on a standard 26 having a lateral arm 27 extending toward the shaft- 18. This standard extends outwardly from the base and then upwardly and toward the crank arm, to bring the free end of the cord in position to be grasped by the driver seated in the car. This free end of the cord is provided with a handle or grip 28, and it will be evident that when downward traction is made upon the grip the shaft 18 will be oscillated in a direction to pull down the inner end of the ratchet bar, to release the front axle of the carriage. The ratchet bar is normally pressed upward by a coil spring 30, which encircles a bolt 31 arranged between the cross bar 3 and the ratchet bar and passing through the said cross bar and ratchet bar. A stop 32 is arranged above the bar, and the spring acts normally to press the bar upwardly and to hold it in position for engagement by the front axle.

A buffer is provided for checking the momentum of the carriage, the said buffer com prising a bar 33 which is arranged transversely of the base adjacent to the cross carriage. buffer blocks 8 and 9 the carriage \v1ll complate 4. Bolts 34 are passed through the buffer bar and the cross plate, and coil springs 35 encircle the bolts between the plate and the bar. These springs normally press the bar toWard the carriage, and the bolts are passed through nuts 36 secured to thecross plate 4, in order that the tension of the springs may be adjusted.

In operation, with the parts in the posi tion of Fig. 2, the car is driven over the As soon as the axles engage the driver starts the engine, releases the ratchet bar, and the Weight of the car and the carrlage Wlll cause the'ca'rriage to run down the lncllnes. As soon as the Wheels come incontact-Withthe floor the car Will begin to move under its oWn power.

I claim:

A device of-the character specified, comprising a base frame and a carriage the frame having pairs of inclines and rollers on the carriage and running upon the inclines for raising and lowering the carriage, said carriage having stops for engagement by the axles of a motor vehicle to move the carriage up the inclines, normally operative means for engagingthe axle of'the vehicle to prevent retrograde movement of the carriage and vehicle andreleasable 'at Will and a buffer onthe base frame "for engagement by the carriage whenthe'wheels of thevehiole-are outof contact wviththe ground, said engaging means for the 3X18 VIRGIL TILDEN WBIGtI-IT.

Witnesses R. N. HoLLAWAY, J. D. BELT.

Copies of this biitent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressihg the commissioner ofiTatenti,

Washington, D. G. 

